Letters

Latest Letters

Last week's National Infrastructure Assessment by the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) notes the need to expand and strengthen local mechanisms for capturing increases in land value associated with infrastructure.

In recent weeks Civitas, the Centre for Progressive Capitalism and Shelter have all argued for a change in the way land is valued, calling for the UK to adopt the German model looking at "Existing Use Values" (EUVs) rather than "hope values".

The Airports National Policy Statement (NPS) has reached the equivalent of its stopover. Its journey is far from over. The last time government published a national policy supporting a third runway at Heathrow was December 2003.

By any planning policy metrics, tall residential buildings perform very badly. Some suggest that they have "a role to play" in housing delivery, but where is the evidence that they help to create the kind of city that Londoners want, let alone the housing they need?

Your article (see related articles below) revealed a variety of views about the recent study by GL Hearn and Wood plc. As you suggest, it has stirred up political sensitivities between local authorities with very diff erent interests in the outcome.

You report that there has been a huge rise in the number of prior approval applications and appeals for phone kiosks, and that the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) says that these are partly responsible for delays to its work (see related articles).

Latest PlanningResource News

The government is to 'strengthen' planning guidance to encourage new affordable homes 'to be designed to the same high quality as other tenures and well integrated within developments', according to its social housing green paper, published today.

Plans have been approved for the first phase of an arts complex in a series of grade II listed buildings at Woolwich in south-east London, in line with a recommendation from planners that the scheme would 'enhance heritage features' of the buildings.

Planning policy should make it easier to build 'small-scale and low-density schemes' that 'protect the character of rural England' but some development should go on green belt land, Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg has said.